Day and Night Duality

Here is what happened during the artsiest week of 2019.

Day By: Tina Qu (Grade 10)

Night By: Deborah Jin (Grade 11)

Day

Whether you’re a painter, actor, musician, singer, or just someone who enjoys art, Arts Week is for everyone. On Monday, students saw a large white tent appear on the basketball court, and paintings appear in the halls. This marked the start of Arts Week. The first performance was on Tuesday; people gathered to listen to string pieces composed by our very own WPGA musicians. Opening ceremonies were at lunch. Students enjoyed a delicious BBQ meal while listening to the music of the band Coldwater Creek. There was a great vibe in the tent; the music was loud, little kids were dancing, and occasionally you’d see a kindergartener fly up in the air, lifted by one of the senior school students who had joined them. The festivities continued on Wednesday: at recess, the choir sang beautiful songs that could be heard no matter where you were in the senior school. There was an art fair at lunch, with booths ranging from making Zine books to decorating phone cases to throwing water balloons filled with paint at Jack Anderson. On Thursday, drama students performed different poems, monologues, and proses at recess. Students parted ways after, going to the workshops that they had previously signed up for. Soon, people were walking around with henna on their bodies, Peppa Pig paintings in their hands, and newfound knowledge about photoshop in their minds. Friday was the last day of Arts Week. There were jazz band performances, alumni performances, and closing ceremonies. After a hilarious improv performance by TheatreSports and awards, Mrs. Harms and the rest of Arts Council gathered up on stage to receive a well-deserved thank you. Arts week was over.

Night

As day turns to night, not only does the colour of the sky change but the atmosphere shifts as well. A different kind of anticipation lingers in the air – whether it is in the large white tent on the night of Coffee House, or the halls of the Senior School during the Visual Arts Celebration. Each year Mrs. Harms, Mr. Elmer, Mrs. Goddard, Mrs. Tovey and the Arts Council put all their time and effort into creating an amazing Arts Week, and they truly outdid themselves this year.

Coffee House 2019 was a major success, with every performance garnering applause from the always enthusiastic audience. As usual, the talented MCs from the Arts Council came up with clever and funny introductions for each performer. There was singing, dancing, poetry and instrumental music, including surprise teacher acts from Mr. Thomas and Mr. Oswald, and emotional but comforting grad performances. It takes a huge amount of courage to get on a stage and express your talent, but each and every person who did received an equally large amount of support from everyone who came to watch. The Visual Arts Celebration showcased brilliant artwork created by students in grades 8 to 12. As people neared the main doors of the school, a portion of the talented and popular jazz band could already be heard playing their tunes to a, mesmerized audience in the lobby. After a while, Tatiana and Evie took their places to sing enchanting melodies that they had prepared only a few hours beforehand, with Ayla accompanying them on the guitar. While everyone walked through the halls looking at artwork, things were spiced up by a scavenger hunt for art pieces all over the area so every student’s work could be seen and admired.

Arts Week may seem like a week for watching performances and having longer recesses and lunches, but it is more than that, and it is more than just celebrating the arts. It is a precious opportunity for people to express themselves with creative freedom and imagination, to express feelings that cannot be described using just words. Whether you’re a singer, dancer, poet, musician or visual artist, the intricate beauty and emotion that your art holds has the power to unify and inspire us.